Our Townlet Swir
(Svir, Belarus)

54°51' / 26°24'

Translation of
Ayaratenu Swir

Editor: Dr. Chanoch Swironi (Drutz)

Published in Tel Aviv 1959

Acknowledgments

Project Coordinator

Lee Harrison z”l

 

Our sincere appreciation to Zev Swironi, son of Dr. Chanoch Swironi (Drutz) z”l,
for for permission to put this material on the JewishGen web site.

Our sincere appreciation to Yad Vashem
for the submission of the necrology for placement on the JewishGen web site.

This is a translation of: Ayaratenu Swir (Our Townlet Swir),
Editor: Dr. Chanoch Swironi (Drutz), Former Residents of Swir in Israel and in the United States, Published: Tel Aviv 1959 (H,Y 240 pages)

Note: The original book can be seen online at the NY Public Library site: Svir (1959)

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Translated by Gloria Berkenstat Freund


Introduction
Upon the Publication of the Book [H] Dov Joel 5
A Book - A Monument [H] Heshl Miller 6
These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me [H] Shmuel Dobkin 7
The Town of Svir [H] Dr. Chanoch Swironi 8
To the offspring of former residents of Svir [H] Dov Joel 10
Upon the Publication of the Book Dov Joel 11
A Book - A Monument Heshl Miller 12
A Book about Svir Aaron Koury 13
 
Chapter One
The Historic Development and Geographic Situation
Our Small Shtetele [Town] Chanoch Drutz 19
Highlights of the History of Svir Herzl Weiner 21
The Geographic and Economic Situation Berl Alperovitz 24
General Appearance Herzl Weiner 27
The River Herzl Weiner 28
The Bridge Herzl Weiner 29
Svirer Life According to the Vilner Pinkes [Vilna Register], YEKOPO [organization to aid war victims]   31
 
Chapter Two
The Cultural and Social Life
A Cultural and Social Shtetele Chanoch Drutz 35
The People's Library Herzl Weiner 48
The First Elementary School in Svir Shmuel Dobkin 51
The first Hebrew School in Svir [H] Chaim Rugovin 53
The Svir Gymnastics and Sports Club Berl Alperovitz 62
The Svir Jewish Defense Dr. Ch. Swironi 68
The Svir Journals Herzl Weiner 71
 
Chapter Three
Terrible Cases of Misfortune
Avremele Yoel Chanoch Drutz 87
Misfortune in the Hachshara [training for pioneers to Eretz-Yisroel] Dr. Ch. Swironi 95
 
Chapter Four
Memories
Memories of a Kheder-Yingl [religious primary school boy] Aharon Koury 101
Toiling Jews Matityahu Bogdanov 102
Memories of Svir Ben-Tzion Gold 105
Remembrances of Svir Joe Salav 110
My Birthplace [H] Shoshana Drapkin 111
From the days of my childhood [H] Arye Gur-Arye (Pekel) 113
 
Chapter Five
The Destruction of Svir
Memorial Candle [H] Shmuel Dobkin 119
Destruction and Revenge Poems Fanya Fisher 120
Last Letters [H] Shlomo and Yitzhak Rabinovits 125
The Demise of Svir Dr. Chanoch Swironi 127
Memories of an Eyewitness Tsivye Dobkin 137
A Svir Partisan Chanoch Drutz 146
Christian Angels Dr. Chanoch Swironi 153
From the Poem: In Shkhite Shtot [In the City of Slaughter] Haim Nachman Bialik 170
Svir After Hitler's Downfall Chanoch Drutz 172
List of the Martyrs from the community of Svir [H] 176
 
Chapter Six
The Svirer in America and Other Lands
Svirer Social and Aid Association in America 191
List of Active Members of the Svir Organization in New York Matityahu Bogdanov, Avraham Chayat, Malekh Levin and Aharon Koury 198
List of Former Residents of Svir in America 199
List of Former Svir Residents in Other Countries 201
 
Chapter Seven
The Svirer in the Land of Israel
At the Annual Svir Gathering Shmuel Dobkin 207
The Svir Immigrants in Israel, their Association and their Interest-Free Fund Dov Joel 210
The Svirer in Eretz-Yisroel Dr. Chanoch Swironi 224
A memorial prayer for former residents of Svir [H] 236
List of the Svirer Jews in the Land of Israel 237

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